Just Sentences: Human rights to enable participation and equity for prisoners and all

Figures & data

Table I. Profile of prisoner participants in the Just Sentences project.

Previous programs	Skills at start	Program	Skills at end
Participant 1: 53 years
•Prior 12 months in prison-based program without progress•Intermittent participation in other intervention programs across adult life – without change	•Receptive vocabulary: standard score (SS): 87*•Phonological segmentation: equivalent: 6;1 years**•Unable to perform phoneme deletions•Some sight words•Unable to decode unfamiliar words•No phonemically-based word attack•Asks for help to complete forms without first attempting	•Weekly sessions for 16 months•Extra SLP-prescribed practice with prison-based literacy teacher in first three months•Program continuing beyond release	•Phonological segmentation: equivalent: 7:3 years**•Segmenting and deleting phonemes in consonant clusters•Using phonemic word attack consistently•Reading texts of grade 3–5 code complexity. Reading newspaper•Prolific daily reflective writing•Independently attempting completion of forms
Participant 2: 21 years
•Learned to write surname in prior month	•Receptive vocabulary: SS: 73*•Phonological segmentation: equivalent: 5:3 years**•Able to segment syllables; unable to segment phonemes•Recognise own name in print•Write name•Knowledge of 5 letters of alphabet•No other reading or writing skills	•Weekly sessions for four months•Three sessions per week in final month	•Segmenting phonemes in CVCs•Deleting single consonants•Knowledge of 17 letters of alphabet•Decoding written CVCs•Writing CVCs in drill tasks
Participant 3: 26 years
•No intervention since school	•Receptive vocabulary: SS: 76*•Phonological segmentation: equivalent: 5 years**•Able to segment syllables; unable to segment phonemes•Word attack: SS: 55***•Word identification: SS: 55***•Passage comprehension: SS: 66***	•Weekly sessions for three months•Weekly SLP-prescribed practice with prison-based literacy teacher	•Segmenting and deleting phonemes in consonant clusters•Enjoyment of repeated reading drills
Participant 4: 31 years
•Short engagement with prison-based literacy program years earlier•Previously labelled “immature”, “unmotivated” and “avoiding”	•Receptive vocabulary: SS: 83*•Phonological segmentation: equivalent: 7;1 years**•Word attack: SS: 55***•Word identification: SS: 55***•Passage comprehension: SS: 56***•No voluntary reading•Infrequent independent letter writing	•Weekly sessions offered for 10 months before remeasuring skills (1/3 of offered sessions were declined) •Program continuing	Skills at 10 months:•Phonological segmentation: equivalent: 10;6 years**•Word attack: SS: 58***•Word identification: SS: 59***•Passage comprehension: SS: 79***•Voluntary reading of decodable classics•Daily reflective writing•Independent use of dictionary

Note. CVC, consonant vowel consonant, SS, Standard score, SLP, speech-language pathologist, *Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Fourth Edition (Dunn & Dunn, 2007), **Test of Auditory Processing Skills-Third Edition, (Martin & Brownell, 2005) ***Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests-Third Edition (Woodcock, 2011).

Dunn, L.M., & Dunn, D.M. (2007). Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Fourth Edition. Bloomington, MN: Pearson.

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Martin, N.A., & Brownell, R. (2005). Test of Auditory Processing Skills-Third Edition. Novato, CA: Academic Therapy Publications.

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Woodcock, R.M. (2011). Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests-Third Edition. Bloomington, MN: Pearson.

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